August 24, 2013

I Do Too...



One of the great things about a billion TV channels is Video on Demand, and the chance to watch stuff you would never otherwise see. We just watched I Do, an acclaimed independent film I've heard of for a long time (okay a couple of weeks) in the news (okay on twitter)... and this one is a winner; it is a gay man's chick flick and that is all good with me.

Jack is a British 30-something gay guy living in New York, helping raise his niece after his brother dies, when unexpectedly his visa expires and he needs to act fast to stay in the country. He marries his prickly lesbian best friend while staying close to his sister-in-law and being a father figure to his niece, and then things get complicated when he meets a Spanish-American architect and falls in love.


I Do is sweet and touching, and sometimes overly earnest; it is a same-sex version of Green Card while also a tad preachy dramatization of the negative impact of DOMA (the Defence of Marriage Act) which prohibits same-sex couples from marrying in the US; even in states where it is legal gay marriage has no impact on federal laws like immigration. Using characters we come to care about, the movie shows why the word marriage and the status of marriage equality are important.



While I Do falls into the trap of the picture-perfect sensitive handsome caring bland leading man, it is not as predictable as I expected and it works; the family drama of a 'new normal' family makes you think and care.

I really liked I Do. It brings a current and controversial subject to a touching story of a community of friends and family. Jack's situation impacts everyone as his life is intertwined with those around him.  As Jack grasps to do the right thing for everyone, things just get messier...

Here's the trailer for I Do... look for it!